Wednesday, March 03, 2010

I've never been a very good housekeeper. My mom was always excellent at keeping up with the house, but with as many children as she has (number 10! due March 30), the house never appeared clean except on special occasions. I say never appeared because the foundations were always clean-she would sweep and mop and organize all the time-but there was always the daily clutter that built up.

It's tiring, keeping up with the little things. But until I really started to motivate myself to clean, I never really knew how much easier it is.

If I vacuum daily, I don't end up pulling out the 409 for food that N generously crushed into the carpets, at least not as often... If I sweep daily, I don't have to mop as frequently. If I keep the dishwasher unloaded, I can put dirty dishes in as soon as I dirty them, and I end up with clean counters and an empty sink... and no caked-on foods! If I put laundry away immediately, I don't end up re-washing clean clothes that somehow ended up on the bathroom floor. The list goes on.

Having N has motivated me to keep myself interesting-and by default, interested-while I do my daily chores. Music is motivating, especially when it's music you love. Talking about a chore, "Look at how messy this floor is! We need to clean it!" helps to keep his interest and mine. Letting N help when he can, and with supervision, might slow me down, but keeps me focused on the task and keeps tears to a minimum.

Keeping a clean house is a reward in itself, but extra nice is the response that D gives me on arrival at home. "Wow, honey, the house looks great!" means the world to me. I've also noticed that N is much happier when he has more room to play. Apparently the obstacle course of toys, boxes, clothes and computer parts is only entertaining for so long....